The present invention relates generally to switching systems, and more specifically to a wavelength-time division switching system.
A time and wavelength division switching system as disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. application Ser. No. 07/251,486 comprises a splitter for splitting an inlet highway into a plurality of paths which lead to multiple wavelength selectors respectively, multiple optical time switches coupled respectively to the outputs of the wavelength selectors and multiple wavelength converters coupled respectively to the outputs of the time switches. A wavelength-time division multiplex (WTDM) signal is supplied through the inlet highway to the wavelength selectors. Control signals are applied to the wavelength selectors, time switches and wavelength converters to select a wavelength of the WTDM signal on each divided path and interchange time slots of the selected wavelength and finally converts the selected wavelength to a desired wavelength. The optical outputs of the wavelength converters are combined together by a combiner for coupling to an outlet highway.
Since the prior art switching network is only capable of switching optical signals in the wavelength and time domains, it is desired to increase the number of channels that can be switched.